We thought the readers of Sakooter Speaks would be interested in a new photojournalism feature from Kashmir on the PBS FRONTLINE/World website. If you have a blog or newsletter, we’d appreciate a post, a link, or a mention – we trying to make an effort to reach out to Kashmiris all over the globe, both Hindu & Muslim. We’d love to hear your reaction.

The slideshow of compelling, thoughtful photographs from Kashmir by acclaimed photographer Ami Vitale is part of our new Flashpoint series, which highlights the work of international photojournalists. Vitale’s images provide an intimate view of a 60-year-old conflict.

“You know, I really wasn’t interested in getting to the frontline,” said Vitale. “There were attacks every day and people dying, and often, you can’t see that in my photos. I wanted to show the things behind that. I spent a lot of time with women and inside homes, and I think a lot of the work shows their suffering. I don’t think it was intentional. It was just that I spent the most time with Kashmiri women, and I felt that they needed their voices heard, because they have one of the more difficult positions. They have to quietly endure their suffering.”

hi… well scooter bhai, im really impresed to see this blog and is genuinely worth aprrecitaition, so kudos to ya… but at the same time i didnt like u mocking kashmiri people… i just happened to read ur scribble on western music show aired on radio kashmir srinager. its was not starical but obviously an effort to disgrace and malign ur own people. Its worth an effort that radio kashmir does air english programmes for the youth. the main objective is to transform the stereotype mindset of the people that kashmiris can speak english and even tho its hard for most of them to folow the trends but its working.. shedding ur all inhibitions and callin in from far fledged places from kashmir to an english programme is commendable.. its jus the matter of language and not every1 is gud in all the languages but having balls to participate certainly matters…..thanks

@Sheikh Arafat
1. I am not a ‘bhai’. 🙂
2. Thank you for reading through. Really appreciate your feedback.
3. The post was not to malign the Kashmiri people. It is not about ‘language’, for to not know english would be a natural thing. But what I find very annoying is the fact that Kashmiris are so dying to be ‘wanna-be’ ‘MORDERN’ with ofcourse a twisted meaning attached to mordern.
How many of the same people would feel “ashamed” of calling in to a Kashmiri Chaker request?
It is about lost identities.
and sometime humour is the only way to pass the message.
Guess I didnt do a good job, and you didnt get the message.

Me is such a big word.ME is what forms my world,ME is what can make a difference in my life and in all the life,s connected to me,In short ME is a world in itself coming to think of it.And yes ME can for sure make a BIG BIG difference in the world around,,,,,,,and i believe it , becuase its all these ME,s which eventuallly make the WORLD.SO ASMA (SAKOOTER) cheers and go on!!!!!!!!!!!!

well its not all about trying to become some1 else.. here the question is that same people do call for the hard core typical kashmiri programmes as well… and if going by facts and figures kashmiri programmes are far more popular than the english ones… and being modern is not wrong but its indeed the way u interpret the term, may go wrong….getting modern doesnt mean one would forget his/her culture or tradition, modernity has already seeped in every culture and its a healthy sign as long as its well woven with our traditions….
and yeah i wasnt aware of ur gender.. so appologies for callin ya a bhai.. take care .. god bless

and about the lost identity…. we are still well rooted with our culture, jus by callin an english programme doesnt disqualify you from being a kasshmiri…. And i reckon one needs to have a hollistic view and be objective rather than being subjective… u and others like QM neeeds to ressearch a lot before being judgemental.. its not them who have lost their identity its ppl like you who call it so and are in crises to save something thats already intact…

well we not talkin abt ur origin u being a kashmiri by birth .. we are talkin about facts and figures…. u gotta try ur hands on research and find answers and being kashmiri doesnt give u a license to knw everythin about kashmir since its inception… there is a wealth of knowledge that one needs to seek …. so talk facts

taking the topic to a different direction . is an unsympathetic means of evading the real cause of discussion…. bringing in different elements into discussion like how many have disappeared or been killed,….hang on…wot are we talking abt here??? i guess u have lost track…
im not here to win ur sympathy … but help ursef to stand and stick by the origin of this argument… anywayz.. we not here to fight,,, wish ya all the best… and supporting a blogs and ideas doesnt make u different… but yeah wise blogging may.. so happy blogging

Salam Sakooter-ji,
I recently started following your blog and think it’s great! Very well written entries. Just wondering if you could you perhaps add me, a budding Kashmiri blogger, to your list of ‘Kashmiri Bloggers’?http://thebagel.wordpress.com/

salam,
Nice site, am quite impressed to see the zuni gaash! Actually I was searching material about Kashmir, for my study, came through your site. Nice mentained;seems you are a graphic designer.
Well, keep it up.Best wishes…

my humble request to all please search in google this word ( Kunan poshpora ) and you may remember somthing i find some people talkling about Save Dal i am not aganist it but i think its better to save dignity rather than Dal

I wish i was born in more secure times, when life was simple yet more valuable. But then, may be people before me wished exactly this. And then, perhaps this is the right time or else God would have done otherwise .